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Chemical Warfare

Terrorism And Chemical Weapons

Chemicals in the hands of terrorists hold a grave potential for disaster, according to experts in "weapons of mass destruction," which include chemical, biological, and nuclear (or radiological) devices. In 1995, the Japanese sect called Aum Shinrikyo unleashed sarin gas in a Tokyo subway. Twelve people died, and 5,000 got sick from the attack; and experts claim that the toll should have been higher but for the terrorists' minor errors. Counterterrorism forces have been established by various Federal agencies, but the substances and handbooks for synthesizing chemicals are available on the Internet, through the mail, and at survivalist shows. Dangers of dispersing chemicals (including effects of the weather) may dissuade some; but the unknown quantities of who might have a grudge, the knowledge to choose chemicals as weapons, and the location and speed of a chemical attack make nuclear weapons seem better controlled and less dangerous by comparison.

Resources

Books

Fleming, D. O., and D. L. Hunt. Biological Safety: Principles and Practices. 3rd ed. Washington: American Society for Microbiology, 2000.

Franz, David R., and Nancy K. Jaax. "Ricin Toxin." Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare. Washington, DC: Borden Institute, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 1997. p. 632.

Freedman, B. Environmental Ecology. 2nd ed. Academic Press, 1994.

Harris, Robert, and Jeremy Paxman. A Higher Form of Killing. Hill and Wang, 1982.

Proliferation: Threat and Response. Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2001. p.15.

Sivard, R. L. World Military and Social Expenditures, 1993. World Priorities, 1993.

Tucker, Jonathan B., and Jason Pate. "The Minnesota Patriots Council." Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000. pp. 159-183.

Periodicals

"Better Killing Through Chemistry." Scientific American (December 2001).

Byrne, W. Russell, et al."Clinical Recognition and Management of Patients Exposed to Biological Warfare Agents," Laboratory Aspects of Biowarfare (Clinics in Laboratory Medicine) 21, no. 3, (September 2001): 459.

Dire, D. J., and T. W. McGovern. "CBRNE—Biological Warfare Agents." eMedicine Journal no. 4 (April 2002): 1-39.

Dutton, Gail. "Biotechnology Counters Bioterrorism." Genetic Engineering News no. 21 (December 2000): 1-22ff.

Dyer, G. "Environmental Warfare in the Gulf." Ecodecision (1991): 21-31.

Greenfield, Ronald A. "Microbiological, Biological, and Chemical Weapons of Warfare And Terrorism." American Journal of The Medical Sciences 323 no. 6 (2002): 326-340.

Reutter, S. "Hazards of Chemical Weapons Release During War: New Perspectives." Environmental Health Perspectives 107, no. 12 (1999): 985-990.

Other

"US Knew of Bioterror Tests in Iraq." BBC News. August 20, 2002.

Bill Freedman

Chris Cavette

KEY TERMS

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Defoliant: —A chemical that kills the leaves of plants and causes them to fall off.
Ecocide: —The deliberate carrying out of antienvironmental actions over a large area as a tactical element of a military strategy.
Harassing agent: —A chemical which causes temporary incapacitation of animals, including humans.
Herbicide: —A chemical that kills entire plants, often selectively.
Nerve agent: —A chemical which kills animals, including humans, by attacking the nervous system and causing vital functions, such as respiration and heartbeat, to cease.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Categorical judgement to ChimaeraChemical Warfare - Antipersonnel Agents—chemicals Used Against People, Use Of Herbicides During The Vietnam War, Use Of Petroleum As A Weapon During The Gulf War